Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

J. S. HENDRIGKSON.

THILL COUPLING. 7 No. 308,896. Patented Dec. 9, 1884.

,A ffarney UNITED STATES PATENT JAMES S. HENDRIGKSON, OF OLMSTED, OHIO.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,896, dated December 9, 1884.

Application filed March 10, 1884.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. HENDRICKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olmsted, county of Guyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Shafts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a description of the same, and of the manner of constructing and using the invention,in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it appertains to construct and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I ha e contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

It will be seen and understood that in this description of my invention I use the terms shaft and shafts as equivalents to the ordinary terms pole and thills, inasmuch as the invention is applicable either to a vehicle-pole or to vehiele-thills.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a shaft provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in the preceding view. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the shaft-coupling.

A is a shaft, made of wood and curved, and also tapered at its rear portion.

B is the main shaft-iron, formed at its lower end into the cylindrical segment I), and

3 5 concaved on its inner surface, I), where it assists in composing the open eye K. This iron is firmly fastened to the shaft by bolts E, and has a shoulder, e, which shoulder is provided with socket e, for the reception of the bulging head fof the rod F.

O is a supplemental segment to the segment 1;, made in a separate piece from it, and has its lower inner surface, a, concave, adapting it to complete the rotund open eye K as the two said segments are brought together. Segment 0 also has its broad end 0 so beveled as to fit closely upon the beveled end I) of the iron B. Segment 0 is provided with the longitudinal slot I, adapted to allow bolt D to move freely in it as said segment is loosened and inclined at different angles. Bolt D is rigid in iron B, and with nut d furnishes the locking and unlocking mechanismof the coup-' ling. Segment (3 is also provided at its taper- (No model.)

ing end with the spur g,adapted to fit into a corresponding wedgeshaped recess in the iron B.

F is a rod reaching across the arch of the shaft from bolt E to the T-shaped shaft-iron G. This iron G has a shoulder provided with a socket, f, adapted to receive the bulging head h of the brace F, said shoulder-socket and bulging head corresponding, respectively, to those, 6, e, and f, located at the other end of said rod. The T-iron G is fastened to the shaft, and may be provided with a series of devices for the accommodation of the rod F at different points on the shaft.

My coupling may be made with the ordinary clips in common use on vehicles, or with any other equivalent means of attachment.

My coupling is preferably made of malleable iron, but is not confined to that.

To attachthe shaft or shafts or to remove them I loosen the segment 0 by unscrewing the nut (Z, and so sufficiently open the eye K 7 5 and drop down the tip or tips of the shaft or shafts to such a point as where it or they will easily unhook from the draftbolt.

The combination of spur g and the Wedge" shaped recess effects the function of a hinge to segment 0, upon which it practically turns as not (Z on bolt D is tightened or loosened.

\Vhat, therefore, I claim is 1. In a shaft-coupling, the combination, with shaftiron B, provided with wedge-shaped recess K, of segment 0, provided at its extreme forward end witlithe wedgeshaped spur g, formed in thelongitudinal line of said segment and fitted into said recess K, said spur and recess acting conuectedly asahinge, said segment provided also with the longitudinal slot I, adapted toreceive bolt D, sub stantially asset forth.

'2. The combination, with arched shaft A, and the independent shaft-irons B and G, respectively secured to the shaft at opposite extremities of its arch, said irons respectively provided with sockets c and h,of rod F, spanning the arch of the shaft, and having its eX- tremities respectively provided with heads f 100 and f fitting in said sockets, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing to be my invention I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of March, A. D. 1884..

\Vitnesses: JAMES S. IIENDRICKSON,

H. A. WIsE, Trros. B. HALL. 

